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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Indestructible Toys?
EntropyControlSpecialist 02:12 PM 11-07-2012
Do you have any suggestions? Our children are between the ages of 2-5. Most of them are 2 1/2-4 years old.
We started out with 75% of the toys being wood. Somehow, they have destroyed more than 50% of those toys. The majority of the things that aren't destroyed are things carved out of a single piece of wood. I gave up on having primarily wooden toys and began to buy plastic. They don't destroy the Lego Duplos or the regular Legos (for my 4-5 year old children). They don't destory Wedgits, Fisher Price plastic toys like a cookie jar or a shape sorter bucket, Matchbox Cars/Hotwheels, etc. I find these toys to be ugly (LOL) but I can't have a toy only lasting a month or so!
I need more items to buy. I am phasing out the majority of the wooden toys and saving them for a future little of ours (Lord willing that we can carry to term). What do the children in your place love that they can't destroy?
We started out with 75% of the toys being wood. Somehow, they have destroyed more than 50% of those toys. The majority of the things that aren't destroyed are things carved out of a single piece of wood. I gave up on having primarily wooden toys and began to buy plastic. They don't destroy the Lego Duplos or the regular Legos (for my 4-5 year old children). They don't destory Wedgits, Fisher Price plastic toys like a cookie jar or a shape sorter bucket, Matchbox Cars/Hotwheels, etc. I find these toys to be ugly (LOL) but I can't have a toy only lasting a month or so!
I need more items to buy. I am phasing out the majority of the wooden toys and saving them for a future little of ours (Lord willing that we can carry to term). What do the children in your place love that they can't destroy?
Country Kids 02:16 PM 11-07-2012
Thank you so much for asking this!!!!!
I thought I was going crazy (more then usual) when my kids started breaking my wooden toys. They are so expensive but they break them like nothing.
None, I mean none of plastic toys have been broken!
I totally do not understand this. I want to have all wooden, natural toys but not at this expense.
I thought I was going crazy (more then usual) when my kids started breaking my wooden toys. They are so expensive but they break them like nothing.
None, I mean none of plastic toys have been broken!
I totally do not understand this. I want to have all wooden, natural toys but not at this expense.
EntropyControlSpecialist 02:23 PM 11-07-2012
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
Thank you so much for asking this!!!!!
I thought I was going crazy (more then usual) when my kids started breaking my wooden toys. They are so expensive but they break them like nothing.
None, I mean none of plastic toys have been broken!
I totally do not understand this. I want to have all wooden, natural toys but not at this expense.
It seems like my smaller kids (2's and 3's) are more prone to breaking them than my older kids (4's and 5's). It's really irritating so I am giving up. Thank you so much for asking this!!!!!
I thought I was going crazy (more then usual) when my kids started breaking my wooden toys. They are so expensive but they break them like nothing.
None, I mean none of plastic toys have been broken!
I totally do not understand this. I want to have all wooden, natural toys but not at this expense.
I just thought of a Mr. Potato Head. I'll keep thinking.
SunnyDay 03:42 PM 11-07-2012
Waffle blocks
Bristle Blocks
Little People (house, barn, etc.)
Plastic play tools
Plastic doctor kit
"Wheelies" type cars (plastic)
Weebles (we have a Weeble tree house that is very popular)
Bristle Blocks
Little People (house, barn, etc.)
Plastic play tools
Plastic doctor kit
"Wheelies" type cars (plastic)
Weebles (we have a Weeble tree house that is very popular)
lovemykidstoo 04:52 PM 11-07-2012
Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
It seems like my smaller kids (2's and 3's) are more prone to breaking them than my older kids (4's and 5's). It's really irritating so I am giving up.
I just thought of a Mr. Potato Head. I'll keep thinking.
I bought a very large box of Mr. Potato Heads from Ebay a couple of years ago and it is never ending fun. All ages love it.It seems like my smaller kids (2's and 3's) are more prone to breaking them than my older kids (4's and 5's). It's really irritating so I am giving up.
I just thought of a Mr. Potato Head. I'll keep thinking.
itlw8 07:21 PM 11-07-2012
Most of the wood toys on the market are expensive but very cheaply made.You need to be careful as many come from China. Then they have a lead hazard.
The ones from not sure of the name Community Playthings??? they are a amish or mennenite company. they are very expensive but the stuff lasts for generations.
The ones from not sure of the name Community Playthings??? they are a amish or mennenite company. they are very expensive but the stuff lasts for generations.
youretooloud 08:33 PM 11-07-2012
You literally have to get old stuff from the 70s and 80s.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Vintage-Anti...mmunity+wooden
The "Community" trucks will last forever. You might need to sand them a little to get the dirt off, but they are unbreakable. I have a set that are probably 35 yrs old.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...uff&_sacat=717 Tuff Stuff will also never, ever break.
Old vintage Fisher Price toys are good too.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_saca...6+Antique+Toys Little Tykes ride on semi trucks...it's hard to win a bid, but they are favorites.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Vintage-Anti...mmunity+wooden
The "Community" trucks will last forever. You might need to sand them a little to get the dirt off, but they are unbreakable. I have a set that are probably 35 yrs old.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...uff&_sacat=717 Tuff Stuff will also never, ever break.
Old vintage Fisher Price toys are good too.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_saca...6+Antique+Toys Little Tykes ride on semi trucks...it's hard to win a bid, but they are favorites.
LK5kids 11:20 PM 11-07-2012
I've had wooden toys fall apart too. I ran a playgroup that had only met twice a week for an hour and a half (old job) and our agency bought a beautiful wooden doll house and lots of nice furniture and that furniture starting falling apart quite quickly. It didn't get that much use because the kids were only there such a short amount of time each week.
I've noticed the trend and have admired the fcc homes with all the wooden toys. My state has a handout that even states (as a recommendation not a requirement) that we have a combination of wooden and plastic as kids get too overwhelmed with too many plastic toys in the room. I thought, "Oh, come on....really?" I thought that was a little extreme.
I had decided that as I see wooden toys I'd start getting some. I didn't plan to replace but I thought it would be nice to have a few. I just got two cute wooden toys from Barnes and Noble for 75% off. Now that you have brought this up I think I'll just stick with the ones I have and not invest in too many!
I don't know if I ever remember a time that any plastic toys have fallen apart-family child care, large group center or @ playgroup!
I've noticed the trend and have admired the fcc homes with all the wooden toys. My state has a handout that even states (as a recommendation not a requirement) that we have a combination of wooden and plastic as kids get too overwhelmed with too many plastic toys in the room. I thought, "Oh, come on....really?" I thought that was a little extreme.
I had decided that as I see wooden toys I'd start getting some. I didn't plan to replace but I thought it would be nice to have a few. I just got two cute wooden toys from Barnes and Noble for 75% off. Now that you have brought this up I think I'll just stick with the ones I have and not invest in too many!
I don't know if I ever remember a time that any plastic toys have fallen apart-family child care, large group center or @ playgroup!
EntropyControlSpecialist 05:48 AM 11-08-2012
Originally Posted by youretooloud:
You literally have to get old stuff from the 70s and 80s.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Vintage-Anti...mmunity+wooden
The "Community" trucks will last forever. You might need to sand them a little to get the dirt off, but they are unbreakable. I have a set that are probably 35 yrs old.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...uff&_sacat=717 Tuff Stuff will also never, ever break.
Old vintage Fisher Price toys are good too.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_saca...6+Antique+Toys Little Tykes ride on semi trucks...it's hard to win a bid, but they are favorites.
I'd love to purchase Community Playthings. They are so pricey though. You literally have to get old stuff from the 70s and 80s.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Vintage-Anti...mmunity+wooden
The "Community" trucks will last forever. You might need to sand them a little to get the dirt off, but they are unbreakable. I have a set that are probably 35 yrs old.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...uff&_sacat=717 Tuff Stuff will also never, ever break.
Old vintage Fisher Price toys are good too.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_saca...6+Antique+Toys Little Tykes ride on semi trucks...it's hard to win a bid, but they are favorites.
littlemissmuffet 06:33 AM 11-08-2012
I buy mostly Fisher Price plastic toys... I haven't had anything break from them... ever.
youretooloud 06:41 AM 11-08-2012
Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
I'd love to purchase Community Playthings. They are so pricey though.
I know! New, they are over 100 bucks. I got mine from an old daycare center that was closing down in the 80s. I think these are from the 60s or 70s. But, the kids still love them.I'd love to purchase Community Playthings. They are so pricey though.
EntropyControlSpecialist 08:27 AM 11-08-2012
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
I buy mostly Fisher Price plastic toys... I haven't had anything break from them... ever.
We have two Fisher Price toys that are older (made in late 70's and early 80's). They both look brand new and they have been played with a lot. I buy mostly Fisher Price plastic toys... I haven't had anything break from them... ever.
Blackcat31 08:33 AM 11-08-2012
One thing that really helps is proper care and use of toys. If I see kids abusing or being purposely destructive to toys, they are not allowed to play with them again until I know they can do so without breaking or destroying them.
I refuse to buy anything plastic. The plastic things I have now are temporary until they can be repaced with wooden toys. They might be more expensive but overall they are worth it.
I refuse to buy anything plastic. The plastic things I have now are temporary until they can be repaced with wooden toys. They might be more expensive but overall they are worth it.
Country Kids 08:46 AM 11-08-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
One thing that really helps is proper care and use of toys. If I see kids abusing or being purposely destructive to toys, they are not allowed to play with them again until I know they can do so without breaking or destroying them.
I refuse to buy anything plastic. The plastic things I have now are temporary until they can be repaced with wooden toys. They might be more expensive but overall they are worth it.
I don't see my kids abusing them and all of a sudden they come up to me holding the pieces.One thing that really helps is proper care and use of toys. If I see kids abusing or being purposely destructive to toys, they are not allowed to play with them again until I know they can do so without breaking or destroying them.
I refuse to buy anything plastic. The plastic things I have now are temporary until they can be repaced with wooden toys. They might be more expensive but overall they are worth it.
One of them was a triangle shape that goes to a Melissa/Doug set. They managed to break the tip of and not straight across but at a slant!
One propellar off of a wooden plane keeps coming off. We have glued it with everything and it keeps breaking off! The thing is, its not breaking its still a whole piece just won't stayed glued in the hole for some reason.
cheerfuldom 09:22 AM 11-08-2012
I dont have a huge toy breaking issue here but find a few things help with that
*teach the kids how to play with toys correctly and take away anything they cant handle
*purchase old school toys from yard sales and antique malls. Fisher Price is great!
*be careful about the brand of wooden toys you buy. like someone else said, many of the companies produce inferior products!
* put in cloth toys if you can, especially for the younger set. cloth books and blocks are great options, even swaths of fabric for dress up holds up better than the cheapie dress up costume sets
*keep your play room minimal so the kids are less tempted to trash an overflooded toy room because they are over stimulated and dont have respect for items, due to the sheer volume.
I never ever purchase brand new toys from department stores for my kids....95% of the stuff out there is just plain junk. we make a lot of our things (I sew, my husband wood works) or re-purpose items. For instance, I put in a half dozen sturdy baskets in the play room for no real purpose but that is one of the favorite things to play with. Think outside the box! My mom crocheted a dozen small blankies for baby dolls or whatever else and the kids have played with those every day for a year and they still look great! I go on pinterest for ideas. I hung up a few mirrors in the room and the kids love that. We also made a discovery board (different knobs and such) and are doing a magnetic wall next.
*teach the kids how to play with toys correctly and take away anything they cant handle
*purchase old school toys from yard sales and antique malls. Fisher Price is great!
*be careful about the brand of wooden toys you buy. like someone else said, many of the companies produce inferior products!
* put in cloth toys if you can, especially for the younger set. cloth books and blocks are great options, even swaths of fabric for dress up holds up better than the cheapie dress up costume sets
*keep your play room minimal so the kids are less tempted to trash an overflooded toy room because they are over stimulated and dont have respect for items, due to the sheer volume.
I never ever purchase brand new toys from department stores for my kids....95% of the stuff out there is just plain junk. we make a lot of our things (I sew, my husband wood works) or re-purpose items. For instance, I put in a half dozen sturdy baskets in the play room for no real purpose but that is one of the favorite things to play with. Think outside the box! My mom crocheted a dozen small blankies for baby dolls or whatever else and the kids have played with those every day for a year and they still look great! I go on pinterest for ideas. I hung up a few mirrors in the room and the kids love that. We also made a discovery board (different knobs and such) and are doing a magnetic wall next.
EntropyControlSpecialist 10:11 AM 11-08-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
One thing that really helps is proper care and use of toys. If I see kids abusing or being purposely destructive to toys, they are not allowed to play with them again until I know they can do so without breaking or destroying them.
I refuse to buy anything plastic. The plastic things I have now are temporary until they can be repaced with wooden toys. They might be more expensive but overall they are worth it.
Oh, I do that. But all it takes is one plummeting drop off the shelves for a wooden firetruck to lose the back door or shoving a toy off the window seat for it to have a piece broken off of it as well. So, while supervision and rules are important in a lot of the instances here ... I can't even prevent it. It's MADDENING!One thing that really helps is proper care and use of toys. If I see kids abusing or being purposely destructive to toys, they are not allowed to play with them again until I know they can do so without breaking or destroying them.
I refuse to buy anything plastic. The plastic things I have now are temporary until they can be repaced with wooden toys. They might be more expensive but overall they are worth it.
EntropyControlSpecialist 10:17 AM 11-08-2012
Originally Posted by Country Kids:
I don't see my kids abusing them and all of a sudden they come up to me holding the pieces.
One of them was a triangle shape that goes to a Melissa/Doug set. They managed to break the tip of and not straight across but at a slant!
One propellar off of a wooden plane keeps coming off. We have glued it with everything and it keeps breaking off! The thing is, its not breaking its still a whole piece just won't stayed glued in the hole for some reason.
I am looking at my shelf of broken toys right now.I don't see my kids abusing them and all of a sudden they come up to me holding the pieces.
One of them was a triangle shape that goes to a Melissa/Doug set. They managed to break the tip of and not straight across but at a slant!
One propellar off of a wooden plane keeps coming off. We have glued it with everything and it keeps breaking off! The thing is, its not breaking its still a whole piece just won't stayed glued in the hole for some reason.
Melissa & Doug toys are pretty much junk. They don't hold up to constant use from 12 children. Either they look junky after awhile or they actually break/fall apart.
A Kidcraft blender has a chink taken out of the side of it (the holding area) because a child dropped it.
A Plan Toys dollhouse furniture piece has the top missing because it was shoved off the window seat. It was wood glued back together and came apart again.
The Ryan's Room wooden firetruck's door is broken due to being sent off a shelf ledge.
The wooden Kidcraft toaster accidentally went over the side of the kitchen and broke. I was able to piece it back together and have the popping up mechanism work again, but I am keeping it away because they continue to shove small toys inside of it (dinosaurs, pretend cookies, etc.) and they get lodged and are a pain to get out.
A Wonderworld construction vehicles pivoting top came off. Glue and all won't help. All of the other Wonderworld vehicles are doing GREAT, though.
We like the dumper,fire engine, police car, and loader.
EntropyControlSpecialist 10:25 AM 11-08-2012
*teach the kids how to play with toys correctly and take away anything they cant handle CHECK!
*purchase old school toys from yard sales and antique malls. Fisher Price is great! GOOD IDEA!
*be careful about the brand of wooden toys you buy. like someone else said, many of the companies produce inferior products! THAT'S THE TRUTH!
* put in cloth toys if you can, especially for the younger set. cloth books and blocks are great options, even swaths of fabric for dress up holds up better than the cheapie dress up costume sets MY 2'S REALLY ENJOY CLOTH BOOKS AND ALL OF MY CHILDREN ENJOY PLAY SILKS AND SCARVES (WHICH WE ALSO USE FOR DANCING).
WE DON'T HAVE DRESS UP CLOTHES.
*keep your play room minimal so the kids are less tempted to trash an overflooded toy room because they are over stimulated and dont have respect for items, due to the sheer volume. I HAVE SHELVING UNITS THAT ARE MEANT FOR PRESCHOOLERS. DO YOU THINK PUTTING 1-2 TOYS IN EACH SECTIONS WOULD WORK WELL? RIGHT NOW SOME OF THEM CONTAIN MORE THAN THAT (ESP. THE BUILDING CENTER).
The basket idea scares me. I have 3 children that are hoarder-like in nature. They try to pile everything in the room near them, despite constant redirection and behavior management techniques employed. Any time there is a bucket, basket, box, etc. they attempt to put as many small toys as they can in there (like the toy animals, blocks, Lego people, etc.).
*purchase old school toys from yard sales and antique malls. Fisher Price is great! GOOD IDEA!
*be careful about the brand of wooden toys you buy. like someone else said, many of the companies produce inferior products! THAT'S THE TRUTH!
* put in cloth toys if you can, especially for the younger set. cloth books and blocks are great options, even swaths of fabric for dress up holds up better than the cheapie dress up costume sets MY 2'S REALLY ENJOY CLOTH BOOKS AND ALL OF MY CHILDREN ENJOY PLAY SILKS AND SCARVES (WHICH WE ALSO USE FOR DANCING).
WE DON'T HAVE DRESS UP CLOTHES.*keep your play room minimal so the kids are less tempted to trash an overflooded toy room because they are over stimulated and dont have respect for items, due to the sheer volume. I HAVE SHELVING UNITS THAT ARE MEANT FOR PRESCHOOLERS. DO YOU THINK PUTTING 1-2 TOYS IN EACH SECTIONS WOULD WORK WELL? RIGHT NOW SOME OF THEM CONTAIN MORE THAN THAT (ESP. THE BUILDING CENTER).
The basket idea scares me.
I have 3 children that are hoarder-like in nature. They try to pile everything in the room near them, despite constant redirection and behavior management techniques employed. Any time there is a bucket, basket, box, etc. they attempt to put as many small toys as they can in there (like the toy animals, blocks, Lego people, etc.).
cheerfuldom 10:37 AM 11-08-2012
love your set up! but yes, I would downsize toys even more and see what that changes. you can rotate every weekend or something.
SunnyDay 06:04 PM 11-09-2012
Have you been happy with how your furniture has held up? I love the look of your chairs (and the rest of your space!)
chickenfarms 08:37 PM 11-09-2012
I just got rid of all my bins and went to tubs with locking lids in a corner. I have a horrible group of dumpers, so we get out one group of toys at a time (little people, dress up clothes, dinosaurs, cars, dishes, etc). The only toys that are out are some babies, larger trucks and books.
This has been the best thing I have ever done! We also have had many problems with broken toys. I have a group of boys that are really rough on things.
This has been the best thing I have ever done! We also have had many problems with broken toys. I have a group of boys that are really rough on things.